Recommendation: 20 Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Photos by Barry O’Carroll

My friend sent me the link to this piece (20 Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Photos) a while back, not long after I got my new camera. It’s taken me a while to get around to reading it, but I’m glad I did.

Written by Barry O’Carroll a photographer based in Ireland (shout out to my country of origin), it’s a clear and concise walkthrough of techniques for composing photographs – from the rule of thirds to leading lines, and beyond.

Some of the techniques are complementary, some contradictory, but all are written about in an engaging, understandable way. The explanatory text is accompanied by funny asides and examples. (The bit about the cat in ‘#9. Fill the Fame’ is my personal favourite.)

I found this made the techniques easier to understand and, hopefully, put into practice. I am definitely thinking more carefully when composing photographs as a result of reading the article, whether I’m using my DSLR or just my phone.

Macandrew Bay, Dunedin (photo taken on my phone)

I have so much to learn and I’m looking forward to getting started, which is why I’m stoked what my first Introduction to Photography night class at Otago Polytechnic is next week. After I’ve been to a couple of the classes (there’s one every week from now until mid-September) I’ll post an update of how things are going.

Is there a skill you’d like to learn, or a class you’d like to take?